Dental crown seating instrument



INVENTOR.

N m m a M 5 N H G J J. C. WILBORN DENTAL CROWN SEATING INSTRUMENT Filed NOV. '26, 1951 Jan. 13, 1953 Patented Jan. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DENTAL CROWN SEATING INSTRUMENT John C. Wilborn, Shattuck, Okla.

Application November 26, 1951, Serial No. 258,126

4 Claims.

This invention relates to dental instruments used primarily for applying crowns to the incisor teeth, and in particular a tool having a head at the end of an offset shank extended from a handle, and in which the head is provided with a nose and also with projections spaced from the end of the nose and positioned on opposite surfaces thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an instrument adapted to be used by hand and with which a dentist or operator may apply pressure to a crown being positioned on an incisor tooth with as little discomfort to the patient as possible.

In the conventional method of applying crowns to teeth it is desirable to utilize the power of the patient for forcing the crown into position and for holding the crown until it is secured to the tooth, and whereas the molars are in alignment the incisor teeth are offset so that it is difficult to apply pressure from one set directly to the other set.

With this thought in mind this invention contemplates an instrument having offset projections or jaws whereby with the instrument held between the incisor teeth with a shank or handle thereof vertically positioned an upper tooth rests upon one projection and a lower tooth engages a projection on the opposite side of the instrument.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to form the head of a dental instrument whereby with the head positioned between the incisor teeth a projection on one side receives an upper tooth and a projection on the opposite side receives a lower tooth.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dental instrument whereby power of an upper incisor tooth may be applied to a crown on a lower incisor tooth.

Another object of the invention is to provide an instrument for applying pressure from one set of incisor teeth to a crown on the other set of incisor teeth in which the handle of the instrument is offset to prevent discomfort to the patient.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dental instrument for facilitating applying crowns to incisor teeth which may be formed of a single piece of material so that it may readily be sterilized.

A still further object is to provide an instrument for applying crowns to incisor teeth which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a dental instrument having an offset shank extended from a 2 handle with a head on the end of the shank and in which the head is provided with a nose having a straight side and an arcuate side and also having projections extended from the straight and arcuate sides.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a view showing a side elevation of the instrument with part of the handle broken away.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the instrument also with part of the handle broken away.

Figure 3 is a view looking upwardly toward the under side of the instrument and also showing the handle with part thereof broken away.

Figure 4 is a detail showing a side elevational view of the head with the parts on an enlarged scale and illustrating the instrument in use between upper and lower incisor teeth, and in which the teeth are shown in dotted lines.

Figure 5 is an end elevational view of the instrument looking toward the end of the head.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved dental instrument of this invention includes a head l0 positioned at the end of a shank l2, the shank being formed with an offset section l4 at one end and on which the head is positioned, and having a handle H5 at the opposite end.

The head IB is formed with a nose 18 having an arcuate surface 20 on one side, and having a conical-shaped projection 22 extended from the side opposite the arcuate side and a jaw 24 on the side on which the arcuate surface is positioned and extended from the intersection of the arcuate surface with the shank. The jaw 24 is provided with a flat outer surface 26 which is positioned to receive an upper incisor tooth, as indicated by the numeral 28, and as shown in Figure 4, and the projection 22 which is formed with convergent sides is provided with a surface 30 that is positioned to receive a lower incisor tooth 32, also as shown in Figure 4.

With the parts arranged in this manner a crown placed over an upper incisor tooth, such as the tooth 28, may be forced into position on the tooth by pressure exerted by a dentist or other operator pressing against the end of the handle, and with the crown substantially in position the lower incisor tooth 32 may be pressed against the projection 22, as shown, whereby force resulting from the bite of the patient may be utilized to seat the crown and hold the crown in position until it is secured upon the tooth.

By the same means a crown may be installed on a lower incisor tooth with the crown forced into position by the dentist, or by power of an upper incisor tooth.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a dental instrument constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the" prin ciples and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

What is claimed is: H l. A dental instrumentcomprising a shank having a head on an offset section at one end thereof and having a handle on the opposite end, said head having a nose with straight surface 39 Side a eial' i te m' a e 3 .5 posite side and having a conical-shaped projection extended from the side on which the straight surface is positioned and a jaw extended from the side on which the arcuate surface is positioned. w 2. A dentalinstrument' comprising a shank having a head on an offset section at one end thereof and having a handle on the opposite end, said head having a nose extended from and aligned with the offset section of the handle and also having a jaw extended from one side and a projection having convergent sides extended from the opposite side, said projection and jaw being spaced from the nose and said jaw being positioned to receive an upper incisor tooth with the shank and handle of the instrument in substantially a vertical position and with said projection positioned over a lower incisor tooth.

3. In a dental instrument, the combination which comprises a shank having a handle on one end and an offset section with a head thereon at the opposite end, said head having a nose extended from and in alignment with the offset section of the shank and also having a jaw spaced from the nose and extended from one side and a projection having convergent side walls extended from the opposite side and also spaced from said nose.

4. A dental instrument comprising a shank having a head on an offset section at one end thereof and having a handle on the opposite end, said head having a nose with a fiat side and an arcuate side extended from the end opposite to that from which the shank extends and having a conical-shaped projection extended from the arcuate side, and a jaw extended from the fiat side.

JOHN C. WILBORN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,497,749 Diack June 17, 1924 1,875,680 Van Horn Sept. 6, 1932 

